THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2022 Week 17 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans was the Thursday night game. The 11-4 Cowboys got a big emotional win over top seeded Philadelphia last week. The Titans started 7-3 but have since lost 5 straight. Ryan Tannehill is on injured reserve now and the Titans started 3rd string quarterback Joshua Dobbs. This was his first NFL start. The Cowboys took over at their own 45. Dak Prescott went to Dalton Schultz for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 37, Prescott went to TY Hilton for 7. Defensive pass interference added 14 more. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 4, one, and then the one yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 60 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys moved from their own 35 to a 3rd and 1 at the Titans 15. Elliott got the carry but lost 3 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Brett Maher hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cowboys.

The rest of the half was ugly as a pair of Prescott interceptions led to a pair Randy Bullock field goals from 37 and 29 to get the Titans within 10-6. In the third quarter the Cowboys faced 3rd and 4 at their own 17. Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 13. Defensive pass interference aded 9. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Elliott gained 4. On 3rd and 19 from their own 43, Prescott went bombs away incomplete but drew a 51 yard defensive pass interference call. On the next play Prescott went to Schultz to cap the 10 play, 89 yard drive and make it 17-6 Cowboys. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 33. Dobbs went to Burks for 21. Haskins ran for 12. On 4th and 2 from the Dallas 26, Mike Vrabel went for it and Haskins got just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 20, Dobbs hit Robert Woods for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 7, Dobbs hit Woods for the touchdown. The 14 play, 71 yard, 7 minute drive had the Titans right back in it only down 17-13 after three quarters.

The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Prescott went to Hilton for 28. A roughing the passer call to start the fourth quarter added 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 18, Prescott hit Davis for 5. Prescott went to Schultz for a 10 yard touchdown to culminate the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 24-13 Cowboys with 12 minutes left in regulation. After that the Dallas defense clamped down. Maher tacked on a 45 yard field goal for the Cowboys with 6 1/2 minutes left. Dobbs was then intercepted. The Titans got it back and with 3:45 left faced 4th and 15 at the Dallas 47. Dobbs threw incomplete and the Titans lost their 6th straight to drop to 7-9. They still have a shot at winning their division, but they will need help. They even have a very outside sot at home field advantage. The Cowboys at 12-4 are in playoff mode.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of bad teams played. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Atlanta 10. James Conner gained 7, but offensive holding nullified the gain and killed the drive. The 14 play, 55 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive was capped by a 38 yard Matt Prater field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. JJ Watt, who announced his retirement after the end of this season, jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Tyler Allgeier gained 5. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 37, Allgeier gained 9. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 19, Arthur Smith went for it. Allgeier gained 14 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 10 minutes off the clock and put the Falcons up 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The Falcons got it back at their own 11 and immediately fumbled the ball away. The Cardinals took over at the Atlanta 8. Two plays later Blough hit McBride for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cardinals. The Falcons after a touchback moved 66 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 9, this time Arthur Smith’s gamble saw Ridder throw incomplete. The Cardinals punted on 4th and 6 from their own 14. The Falcons blocked the punt and took over at the Arizona 5. One play later, Cordarelle Patterson got in to make it 14-10 Cardinals with 1:47 left in the half. The Cardinals moved from their own 20 to the Atlanta 18. Only 2 seconds remained, Prater hit from 36 to end the half with the Cardinals within 14-13. In the third quarter a punt pined the Cardinals at their own one yard line. They moved 81 yards in 11 plays. On 2nd and 8 from the Atlanta 18, Blough threw incomplete twice. Prater hit again from 36 to make it 16-14 Cardinals.

The Cardinals got it back at their own 15 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 44 early in the fourth quarter. Kliff Kingsbury went for it and Clement got stopped for not gain. The Falcons from that spot moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Arizona 9. Ridder threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 27 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 17-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 32. Consecutive offensive penalties killed the drive. Kliff Kingsbury gambled on a 57 yard field goal try. Prater delivered to put the Cardinals up 19-17 with 5 minutes left. After a touchback, Patterson ran for gains of 7 and 22. Ridder hit London for 10. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 27, Ridder hit Pruitt for 14. With one minute left, the Falcons fced 3rd and 2 at the Arizona 5. If the Cardinals got a top, they could get the ball back with maybe enough time for one or two plays. Instead, Allgeier gained 3. The Falcons took the clock down to 2 seconds. Koo’s field goal try from 21 yards out was good. 20-19 Falcons

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions — The 7-8 Lions stumbled last week but needed only a win over the lowly Bears to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Bears began with 3rd and 9 from their own 26Justin Fields ran for 8 with defensive holding adding 5 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Cole Kmet took the direct snap and handed it to Fields, who got around the end for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 13, Fields went to Kmet for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Jared Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 28. Dan Campbell went for it on 4th and 4 at the Chicago 35. Goff went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 34 yard gain down to the one. Goff hit Wright for a 2 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Fields broke free for a 60 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Fields was sacked. Cairo Santos hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears after the first quarter. After that, the Lions took over.

After a touchback Williams gained 14. Goff went deep to DJ Chark for 28. The second quarter began with Deandre Swift running for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 37. Williams ripped off a pair of 7 yard gains. Goff hit Williams for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 27, Goff gained 2. Goff went to raymond for 9 and to Wright for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Lions. After a touchback, he Bears took over at their own 48. Fields was hit and fumbled. The Lions recovered at midfield. With 17 seconds left in the half the Lions faced 4th and 1 at the Chicago 4. This time Dan Gamble decided no to gamble. mike Badgley hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 24-10 Lions. The Lions began the third quarter facing 3rd and 18 from their own 17. Swift ran for a 35 yard gain and Williams ran for 40 more. Williams ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 8. Goff went to Chark for 28 and St.. Brown for 11. Swift gained 9. Goff went to Raymond for 16 and to Swift for a 21 yard touchdown. The 92 yard drive meant a 38-10 Lions lead after three quarters. The Lions added a fourth quarter field goal as 34 unanswered points kept the Lions alive in the playoff race. 41-10 Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — The 7-8 Jaguars fought back to tie reeling Tennessee atop the AFC South. With Tennessee having lost on Thursday, the Jaguars with a win would take a lead in the AFC South. The Texans only won twice all year, but one of those wins was last week at Tennessee. The Texans moved from their own 26 to a 4th and 1 at their own 45. Despite failing to convert on 3rd and 1, Lovie Smith gambled in his own territory. Despite Davis Mills starting, Jeff Driskel came in for this play and got stopped cold. With a short field, Trevor Lawrence went to Christian Kirk for 13. Travis Etienne gained 9 and 4. Lawrence hit Jones for 14. Hasty ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 38. Etienne immediately ripped off a 62 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Jaguars. Two plays later, Mills was sacked and fumbled. Campbell recovered it and returned it 12 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 21-0 Jaguars lead. In the third quarter the Jaguars faced 2nd and 13 at their own 22. Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. Lawrence hit Evan Engram for 16 and Jones for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 36, Lawrence hit Hasty for 11. Lawrence went Jones for 15. Conner ran for the 3 yard touchdown as the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 28-0 Jaguars. Each team added a field goal to complete the scoring. Up by 28, Doug Pederson benched Lawrence to keep him healthy for a big game next week. If the 8-8 Jaguars beat Tennessee next week, the Jaguars win the AFC South. 31-3 Jaguars

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — The 12-3 Chiefs are tied with Buffalo for the conference lead but do not hold the tie-breaker. To keep pace, they needed only to beat a terrible Broncos team that lost by 37 last week and finally put Nathaniel Hackett out of his misery. The Chiefs began facing 3rd and 2 a their own 43. Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 4. Walrus Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Denver 44. Mahomes hit Kelce for 10, McKinnon for 11, and Moore for 18. Pacheco ran for a 5 yard touchdown. Andy Reid for some reason tried a fake 2 point conversion try that failed as the Chiefs led 6-0.The Broncos moved from their own 21 on a 14 play, 49 yard, 7 minute drive. On 2nd and 6 from the Chiefs 30, Russell Wilson threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 6-3 in the second quarter. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Chiefs fumbled a punt and the Broncos recovered at the Chiefs 16. One play and 5 seconds later, Wilson got around the end for the touchdown and the 10-6 Broncos lead.

After a touchback, Mahomes went to Toney for 27. Mahomes then went to McKinnon for 28. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 15, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. Mahomes hit McKinnon for 4 and again for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Chiefs. The Chiefs recovered a fumble late in the half but missed a field goal to end the half. In the third quarter the Broncos took over at their own 37. Latavius Murray gained 5, 7, 19 and 5. Wilson went to Okwuegbunam for a 25 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos led 17-13 and were smelling upset.

The Chiefs took over at their own 35. From midfield, Mahomes hit Juju Smith-schuster for 11 and Marques Valdes-Scantling for 22. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mahomes went to Bell for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 20-17 Chiefs. One play after a touchback, Wilson was intercepted by Sneed, who returned the pick 25 yards to the Denver 17. Mahomes went to Pacheco for 9 and to McKinnon for a 3 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 27-17 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Murray gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 7 more yards. On 4th and 7 from the Chiefs 40 midway through the fourth quarter, the Broncos were down to their last gasp. Under heavy pressure Wilson was intercepted, but defensive illegal use of hands meant 1st and 10 for the offense. Wilson went to Jeudy for 7, Saubert for 8 and Okwuegbnuam for 16. Wilson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 3 with 6:14 to play. The Broncos got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 2 at their own 45 with 1:20 to play needing only a field goal to tie the game. Wilson was sacked. The 13-3 Chiefs with a win next week will have a shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 27-24 Chiefs

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — The Dolphins were cruising toward the playoffs at 8-3 before collapsing and losing 4 straight to fall to 8-7. The would still make the playoffs by winning their last 2 games. Yet with Tua Tagovailoa injured, Teddy Bridgewater got the start. The 7-8 Patriots with a loss would be out but with a win this and next week would be in the playoffs. The Patriots faced 3rd and 5 from their own 24. Mac Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain. Jones went deep to Thornton for 24. and Jakobi Meyers for 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 16, Jones threw incomplete but defense holding meant another first down. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 7, Jones went to Thornton for the touchdown. The 10 play, 81 yard drive made it 7-0 Patriots.

The Dolphins soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Mike McDaniel lined up to go for it but a false start killed the try. Yet on 4th and 6, the Patriots ran into the punter. That made it 4th and 1. McDaniel attempted to gamble again and this time Wilson gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Bridgewater hit Wilson for 13. Bridgewater went to Tyreek Hill for 19 and Mike Gesicki for 14. On the first play of the second quarter Hill ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Dolphins missed a chance to take the lead when a 51 yard field goal try by Jason Sanders was no good. A field position game in the third quarter gave the Dolphins a short field at the New England 41. Bridgewater went to Jalen Waddle for 23. Wilson ran for 9. Bridgewater hit Raheem Moster for a 2 yard touchdown as the Dolphins led 14-7 on the road.

The Patriots moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 6 at the Miami 32. A false start killed the drive. Nick Folk hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 14-10. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 24. Bridgewater was intercepted by Kyle Duggar, who returned the pick 39 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Patriots led 16-14 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Bridgewater was injured on the play. 3rd string quarterback Skylar Thompson played the rest of the game. The Patriots took over at their own 11 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 16, to Rhamondre Stevenson for 5, and Jakobi Meyers for 25. Stevenson gained 8. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 27, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones went to Meyers for the touchdown. The 11 play, 89 yard, 5 minute drive had the Patriots up 23-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Dolphins turned it over on downs, but then the Patriots did as well. The Dolphins took over at their own 39 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Thompson hit Gesicki for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 61 yard drive to get the Dolphins within 2 with one minute left. Yet the onside kick failed. Both teams are 8-8. The Dolphins 5th straight loss means they need to win and get help to make the playoffs. The Patriots control their own destiny. Win next week and they are in. 23-21 Patriots

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants — The Giants at 8-6-1 would make the playoffs with a win at home over the lowly Colts. The Colts moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Giants 5. Jeff Saturday decided not to gamble. Chase McLaughlin hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. In the second quarter the Giants exploded. From their own 29, Saquon Barkley ran for 5, Matt Breida added 8, Barkley gained 5 more, and Jones added 5. The Giants kept running to start the second quarter as Barkley gained 7 and 19. After 7 straight runs, Jones hit Isaiah Hodgins for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Jones hit Richie James for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 36. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, Jones went to Bellinger for 10. Jones ran for 13. Jones went back to Bellinger for 24. Jones went to Hodgins for a 6 yard touchdown. After a touchback the Colts soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 46. Nick Foles was intercepted by Landon Collins, who returned it 52 yards to pay dirt and a 21-3 Giants lead.

The Giants got it back at their own 39 with 46 seconds left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 18 with 14 seconds left. Jones threw incomplete twice. Graham Gano hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 24–3 Giants at the half. The Giants immediately fumbled in the third quarter, but the Colts went nowhere and missed a field goal. The Giants took over at their own 38. Jones went to James for 28 and Bellinger for 8. Jones ran for an 18 yard touchdown. 31 unanswered points had the Giants cruising up 31-3. The Colts managed a 16 play, 68 yard, 8 1/2 minute touchdown drive, but ball control power football is not helpful when you’re down by 28. The Giants moved 70 yards and Jones ran for a 10 yard touchdown with 12 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. The 9-6-1 Giants under 1st year head coach Brian Daboll are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. 38-10 Giants

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles — The 13-1 Eagles were cruising toward home field advantage throughout the playoffs before stumbling last week at Dallas. Jalen Hurts was out for the second straight week. Gardner Minshew played well in that losing effort and got the start again. They needed to beat a 6-9 Saints team on life support. After a touchback, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went right to work, hit Chris Olave for 16. On 3rd and 4 from their own 47, Dalton went to Johnson for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 36, Dalton went to Olave for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 19, Prentice gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Philly 10, Taysom Hill only gained one. Dennis Allen gambled on 4th and 2. Hill gained 8. Hill got the last yard as the 15 play, 75 yard, 9 minute drive made it 7-0 Saints. Dennis Allen’s defense was suffocating. In the second quarter Wil Lutz hit a 54 yard field goal. The Saints got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Hill lost a yard. Lutz hit from 20 as the Saints took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms in front of a stunned home Philadelphia crowd.

In the third quarter the Eagles moved from their own 9 to a 2nd and 2 at the Saints 26. A run lost a yard. On 3rd and 4, Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 28 yard touchdown. Yet offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Jake Elliott drilled a 56 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 13-3. The Eagles got it back at their own 4 yard line. Minshew hit Smith for 12 and 6. Minshew then went deep to AJ Brown for a 78 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Eagles were within 13-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the defenses dug in. The Eagles faced 4th and 1 at midfield with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Kevin Sirianni went for it. Minshew kept it and got stopped for no gain. The Eagles got it back at their own 9. From his own 11, Minshew’s swing pass was intercepted by Marshon Lattimore, who strolled 12 yards into the end zone for the touchdown dagger with 5 1/2 minutes left. Despite the win, the Saints were eliminated from the playoffs due to other results on the day. Despite 2 straight losses, the 13-3 Eagles still win the NFC East and clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win next week. A loss could send them all the way down to the Wildcard spot. 20-10 Eagles

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 7-8 Buccaneers took on the 6-9 Panthers. A Buccaneers win would give them the NFC South crown. A Panthers win and a win next week would make the Panthers NFC South champs. In 23 years, Tom Brady has never had a losing season. After a touchback, Sam Darnold on the first play fro scrimmage went deep to DJ Moore for 26 yards. Darnold went to Smith for 11. On 2nd and 5 from the Tampa 23, Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards. Darnold went to Tommy Tremble for a 17 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Panthers lead. The Buccaneers wasted a 14 play drive when Ryan Succop missed a 53 yard field goal in the second quarter. The Panthers took over at their own 43. Darnold hit Marshall for 14. On 4th and 3 from the Tampa 36, Steve Wilks went for it. Darnold hit Moore for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa 24, Darnold went to Moore for the touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Panthers led 14-0.

The Buccaneers would face 3rd and 5 from their own 25. Brady went to Chris Godwin for 12. The Panthers defense had been suffocating for 27 minutes, but one big play turned the game around. Brady went bombs away to Mike Evans for a 63 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers were within 14-7 with 2:10 left in the half. The Buccaneers took over at the Carolina 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 4, Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit from 22 to get the Buccaneers within 14-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Buccaneers from their own 2 yard line moved 90 yards in 15 plays and 7 over minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 8, Brady threw incomplete twice. Succop’s 26 yard field goal try was blocked as the Buccaneers again came up empty. The Panthers took over at their own 9. Donta Foreman ran for 6 and 7. Darnold went deep to Moore for 47. On 1st and 20 from the Tampa 41 after offensive holding, defensive holding meant a new set of downs. Darnold went to Moore for 14. The first three quarters were quiet. The fourth quarter was wild and began with Darnld hitting Smith for a 19 yard touchdown and a 21-10 Panthers lead.

After a touchback, the Buccaneers struck quickly. Defensive pass interference meant 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from their own 43 Brady went deep again to Evans for a 57 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Patriots were within 21-16. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 8. Brady went to Godwin for 11 and 8 and to Leonard Fournette for 11. Brady went to Russell Gage for 21, to Cade Otton for 12, and to Evans yet again for a 30 yard touchdown. This time Brady hit Godwin for the 2 point conversion to make it 24-21 Buccaneers. With 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Panthers faced 1st and 10 from their own 13. Darnold was sacked and fumbled. The Buccaneers recovered at the Carolina 6. Two plays later Brady ran for a one yard touchdown. The extra point failed but 20 unanswered points made it 30-21 Buccaneers with 1:58 left. After a touchback, the Panthers quickly moved to a 2nd and 15 at the Tampa 31. Needing 2 scores with one minute left, Steve Wilks went with the field goal. Eddie Pineiro hit from 49, but the onside kick failed. The Panthers are out of the playoffs. The 8-8 Buccaneers clinched the NFC South. Brady is playoff bound again even if he ends up with a loss next week and a losing season. Darnold was 23 of 37 for 341 yards,3 touchdowns and one interception, but Brady was 34 of 45 for 432 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. 30-24 Buccaneers

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders — The 7-7-1 Commanders came in having lost 2 straight and barely alive in the playoff race. All they needed to do was at home beat the lowly Browns. After benching Taylor Heinecke last week, Ron Rivera decided to start Carson Wentz this week. A first quarter interception of Wentz gave the Browns the ball at the Washington 36. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 19, Deshaun Watson threw incomplete. Cade York hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. Commanders moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 40. Riverboat Ron went for it and Williams got stopped for a one yard loss. Wentz threw another interception but the Commanders got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their own 13, Robinson gained 5. On 3rd and 2 from his own 26, Williams gained 12. On 3rd and 17 from their own 31, Went hit Jahan Dotson for 20. Robinson gained 9 and 4. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 32, Wentz hit Logan Thomas for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 11, Wentz hit Thomas for 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, Robinson got stopped. Riverboat Ron went for it again with 21 seconds.left in the half. Wentz got in. This was drive of the year. 21…yes, 21…plays. 96 yards. 11 1/2 minutes. The Commanders led 7-3 at the intermission.

In the third quarter the Browns took over at their own 37. Watson hit Bryant for 7 and ran for gains of 4 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 46, Watson went to Amari Cooper for the touchdown and the 10-7 Commanders lead. The Browns got it back at their own 16. Nick Chubb gained 9, 7 and 6. Ford gained 9. On 3rd and 9 from their own 48, Watson hit Cooper for 26. On 2nd and 19 from the Washington 35, Watson went to David Njoku for 21. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 13, Watson went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for the touchdown as the Browns led 17-7 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Commanders after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Cleveland 24. A completion by Wentz lost a yard. Joey Slye hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 17-10. After a touchback, Watson ran for 21. On 4th and 1 from the Washington 45, Kevin Stefanski went for it Jacoby Brissett gained 2. Chubb gained 8 and 2. Watson went to Cooper for a 33 yard touchdown with 5 1/2 minutes left to ice the game. Wentz added another interception as both teams were eliminated from contention. 24-10 Browns

San Francisco 49ers at Las Vegas Raiders — All the 11-4 49ers needed to do to keep cruising toward the playoffs was beat a 6-9 Raiders team that was setting itself on fire. The Raiders have blown multiple fourth quarter leads this year The Raiders under 1st year head coach and perpetual egomaniac Josh McDaniels have set an NFL record by blowing 4 double digit leads in one season. McDaniels’s stubborn refusal to run the ball to close out games is why the Raiders keep losing. Despite having the league leading rusher in Josh Jacobs, McDaniels fails to pound the rock. He wears out his own defense instead of the opposing defense. McDaniels decided to blame his own failures on quarterback Derek Carr. McDaniels threw Carr under the bus and benched him for the final 2 games. Carr left team headquarters and will most likely never play for the silver and black again. Carr has bailed out the Raiders many times over his 9 years with the team while the Raiders have had the NFL’s worst defense. Carr holds the franchise records in team history yet somehow McDaniels decided to replace Carr with Jarrett Stidham, who has never started an NFL game before. 

The 49ers somehow managed to be offside on the opening kickoff as the Raiders began at their own 30. Jarrett Stidham on his first play found Foster Moreau for a 20 yard gain. Stidham then went to Jacobs for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 24, Stidham went deep to Darren Waller for the touchdown. The Riders had the quick 7-0 lead. The 49ers took over at their own 33. Christian McCaffrey gained 11 and 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 37, McCaffrey ripped off a 37 yard gain. Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for a 2 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. After a touchback, the Raiders moved 74 yard in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, rather than ru the ball, Josh McDaniels insisted on throwing. Stidham threw incomplete. Then on 4th and goal at the one, McDaniels surrendered. Daniel Carlson hit the 20 yard field goal for the 10-7 Raiders lead.

The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. McCaffrey gained 2. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Purdy threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain. Defensive pass interference on the very next play added 12 more yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 30, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 6. Purdy hit George Kittle for 9. Kyle Juszczyk for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Purdy hit Kittle for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it 14-10 49ers. After a touchback, the Raiders moved 73 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. This time on 4th and 1 from the San Francisco 2 yard line, Josh McDaniels did gamble. Giving the ball to Jacobs up the middle was the right call, but Jacobs got stopped cold for no gain. 

The Raiders defense forced a 3 and out and the Raiders got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half with a short field at the San Francisco 44. Stidham hot Jacobs for 7 and Hunter Renfrow for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 8, Stidham gained 4. With 10 seconds left in the half, stidham threw a fade to the end zone for Davante Adams. The best receiver in the league out-jumped the defender and somehow got both feet down inbounds. The touchdown gave the Raiders the 17-14 halftime lead. The third quarter began with the Raiders forcing another 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 16. Stidham immediately fumbled the snap but fell on it. On 3rd and 11, Stidham hit Renfrow for only 4 yards, but a defensive facemask penalty on Fred Warner gifted the Raiders 15 yards and kept the drive going. On 3rd and 4 from their own 40, Stidham rolled all the way to his left. The defense broke contain and Adams got behind the defense. Adams immediately put his hand in the air and Stidham unleashed a bomb just before getting belted. Adams hauled it in for a 60 yard touchdown. After 35 minutes of football, the Raiders had a 24-14 lead. They had out-played the best defense in the NFL. Now the question would be if they could finish a game or if this was more of the same.

After a touchback, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 7, Aiyuk for 5, and McCaffrey again for 15. After offensive holding meant 1st and 20, Purdy hit Jennings for 18. Aiyuk gained 16. McCaffrey ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The 75 yard, 5 minute drive had the 49ers within 24-21. Rather than try and run the ball, Josh McDaniels insisted on throwing.. Stidham threw incomplete and the Raiders were on their way to a 3 and out. The 49ers moved from their own 14 to midfield. Purdy went deep and was intercepted by Amik Robertson. The Raiders took over at their own 18. Stidham went deep to Waller for 24. Jacobs gained 4 and 5. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Stidham gained 3. The Raiders began the fourth quarter with 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 46. The running game was working. Yet for the billionth time this season, McDaniels abandoned the run. Stidham threw deep incomplete. On the next play Stidham went over the middle was intercepted as the Raiders gave the ball right back. 

The 49ers took over with a short field at the Raiders 42. On 2n and 7 from the Raiders 25, Purdy threw incomplete twice. Kyle Shanahan also has a bad habit of abandoning the run with a lead in the fourth quarter, and it has cost him on the biggest stage on multiple occasions. Robbie Gould hit a 43 yard field goal to tie the game 24-24 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders after a touchback managed one first down but then suffered a delay of game penalty for having 12 men in the offensive huddle. 1st and 15 put the Raiders behind the 8 ball and they punted again. The 49ers moved from their own 35 to a 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 6 yard line. Purdy threw incomplete. The Raiders needed a big stop and got it. Yet Gould hit a 24 yard field goal. With 6:44 left, the 49ers led 27-24. Again, the Raiders had blown a fourth quarter lead. Again, the Raiders had blown a double digit lead. 

After a touchback, Stidham went to Moreau for 21 and again for 14. Yet on 1st and 10 from the San Francisco 39, Josh McDaniels again refused to run the ball. Stidham threw incomplete followed by a false start. With 4 minutes left, Carlson came in for a 57 yard field goal try to tie the game. One of the best kickers in the league drilled it for a 27-27 tie. Now it was up to the Raiders defense to get a stop. They could not. After a touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 23 and McCaffrey for a 38 yard gain. With 2 1/2 minutes left the 49ers had 1st and 10 at the Raiders 14. If the 49ers got one more first down, they could take the clock down to near zero and kick a chip shot field goal for a 30-27 win at the gun. It did not come down to that. Jordan Mason got the ball and ran all the way for the touchdown. The 49ers led 34-27, but the Raiders still had 2:17 left to try and tie the game. This was not a brilliant defensive strategy. The Raiders defense is just that awful. Now it was up to a quarterback starting his very first game.

After a touchback, Stidham went to Mack Hollins for 21 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Offensive holding had the Raiders facing 1st and 20 from their own 36. Stidham under heavy pressure then went bombs away just before getting belted. The ball was underthrown but Adams made an acrobatic diving one-handed catch going to the ground. Now the Raiders had 1st and 10 at the Frisco 19. Stidham went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference on Warner meant 1st and goal at the one. This time Josh McDaniels kept it basic. Jacobs banged into the end zone standing up. McDaniels also decided not to go crazy with a 2 point conversion try. Carlson nailed the extra point. The game was tied 34-34. Yet the Raiders left 1:11, way too much time on the clock. 

As expected, the Raiders defense melted down. After a touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for gains of 12, 18 and 11. With 26 seconds left, the 49ers were looking at a 52 yard field goal try. They still had one timeout left, which meant a safe run with a few more yards would be the smart call. Yet Kyle Shanahan refuses to run when he should run. Purdy rolled out to pass and got belted just as he threw. A wounded duck flew in the air and would have been intercepted had any of the Raiders defenders been looking for the ball. Instead, Aiyuk caught it for 11 more yards. The 49ers let the clock tick down to 2 seconds left. Gould came in for a 41 yard field goal try to win it. The Raiders needed an absolute miracle. 

They got one. Gould was wide, no good. This game was going to overtime, where the Raiders were 3-0 on the season. The Raiders won the coin toss. After a touchback, Jacobs ripped off gains of 9 and 6. The Raiders were at their own 40. Jacobs got a third straight carry and got stopped. Yet on 2nd and 10 it would have been perfectly reasonable to give him a fourth straight carry. Yet Josh McDaniels will abandon the run every single time at the slightest hint of adversity. Stidham went back to pass and got hit as soon as he threw the ball. This time it was his wounded duck floating helplessly in the year. The 49ers got a miracle catch on their own. The Raiders did not. Gipson intercepted the ball and returned it 56 yards to the Raiders 3 yard line. At this point Kyle Shanahan took no chances. He had Purdy take a knee just to center the ball. Gould came in for the 23 yard field goal try to redeem himself. Gould was good. The Raiders were out of miracles, out of luck, and out of the playoffs at 6-10. The 12-4 49ers won their 9th straight game and have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs.

The Raiders might be blown to pieces in the offseason. Carr is likely gone. Jacobs is an unrestricted free agent because Josh McDaniels foolishly declined his 5th year option before the season started. Adams may want out because he only came to the Raiders to play with his best friend Carr. Stidham had a good game for three quarters and threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Yet when it mattered, Stidham had 2 killer interceptions, one or two other balls that should have been intercepted, and a fumbled snap. The defense is as awful as ever. The team that made the playoffs last year is dead in the water, going from winning 10 games to losing at least 10. The cause of this destruction is McDaniels, but he seems to be the only one who is safe. He is only one year into a 4 year contract. He will convince Mark Davis that he needs better players, especially at quarterback. Yet Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia all won with Carr. McDaniels has never had a winning season as a head coach. Although this loss was on the first day of 2023, the Raiders are expected to be a mess until McDaniels is fired. The Raiders lost their 5th game when leading by double digits. They lost their 6th fourth quarter lead. McDaniels is all talk, but Al Davis’s motto is “Just win, baby.” McDaniels loses and blames the quarterback. The Raider Nation needs to keep Carr and get rid of McDaniels. If they get this backward, they will remain a backward franchise. 37-34 49ers, OT  

New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks — Both teams came in 7-8 and knowing a loss would eliminate them playoff contention. Geno Smith and Pete Carroll got to face off against their old team. The Seahawks began at their own 27. On the first play of th game, Kenneth Walker ran for a 60 yard gain. On the 3rd play, Smith hit Colby Parkinson for a 12 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Seahawks led 7–0. An interception of Mike White was returned by Diggs 27 yards to the Seattle 37. The Seahawks moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. A run lost 2 yards and Smith then threw incomplete. Jason Myers hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Seahawks. The Jets managed a 44 yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein, but the Seahawks took control in the second quarter. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Smith threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside fr a key first down. Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 8. Smith went deep to Dallas for a 41 yard gain. The second quarter began with Smith hitting Tyler Mabry for a 7 yard touchdown and a 17-3 Seahawks lead. The Jets managed another 44 yard field goal midway through the second quarter, but nothing else. In the third quarter Zuerlein missed from 57. The Seahawks defense clamped down. Myers hit from 31 in the third quarter, missed from 41 in the fourth quarter, and hit from 31 again in the fourth quarter. The 8-8 Seahawks can make the playoffs next week with a win and some help. The 7-9 Jets are out. The Jets once fired Carroll and got rid of Smith. 23-6 Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — The 12-3 Vikings have been cruising toward the playoffs. The Packers were left for dead at 4-8 but then won 3 straight. At 7-8, the Packers were very much alive but would be knocked out with a loss. 3 minutes into the game the Packers suffered a blocked punt. The Vikings had 1st and goal at the one. Kirk Cousins threw incomplete. Dalvin Cook got stopped for no gain and then lost a yard. On 4th and goal at the 2, Kevin O’Connell had seen enough. Greg Joseph hit the 21 yard field goal. The Vikings led 3-0, but this was a victory for the Packers. 13 seconds later the Packers had another special teams situation, but with much better results. Keisean Nixon returned the ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. The Packers led 7-3 and spent the rest of the game carpet-bombing the Vikings into submission. After the Packers gave it up on downs at their own 45, the Vikings faced 4th and 2 at the Green Bay 37. This time O’Connell gambled, with disastrous results. Cousins was intercepted by Darnell Savage, who returned the interception 76 yards for a touchdown. Without any offensive points, the Packers led 14-3 after the first quarter.

Things got worse for the Vikings. Jospeh missed a 46 yard field goal. The Packers from their own 36 moved 56 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. On 4th and goal at the 3 in the second quarter, Matt LaFleur lined up to go for it. A delay of game ended the chance. Mason Crosby hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Packers. The Vikings moved from their own 29 to the Green Bay 31. Cousins was intercepted by Amos, who returned the pick 26 yards to his own 40. On 3rd and 1, Aaron Jones got around the end for a 31 yard gain. On 2nd and 11 from the Minnesota 21, Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan for the touchdown to make it 24-3 Packers. With 41 seconds left in the half, more misery for the Vikings saw Joseph miss again from 50. It was Crosby who hit from 56 as the Packers led 27-3 at the half. In the third quarter the Vikings moved from their own 16 to the Green Bay 15. Cousins was sacked and fumbled. The Packers moved 76 yards and Dillon ran for a 2 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 34-3 Packers. One play after a touchback, Cousins was intercepted. A short field at the Minnesota 45 led to 3rd and goal at the 2. Rodgers ran it in to make it 41-3 Packers. A few weeks ago the Vikings made NFL history by coming back from 33 points down. This week down 38, they did manage 2 touchdowns but nothing more. At 12-4 the Vikings are in the playoffs but looking vulnerable. The 8-8 Packers now control their own destiny. If they win, they are in the playoffs. 41-17 Packers

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers — The 9-6 Chargers are in the playoffs and the Rams are out. The Rams from their own 14 moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Yet a run lost a yard and Baker mayfield threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit the 23 yard field goal. The 13 play, 81 yard, 8 minute drive made it 3-0 Rams. After a touchback, Justin Herbert hit Mike Williams for 26. Kelley ran for 12. The second quarter began with Austin Ekeler running for 8. Herbert hit Williams for 19. Ekeler ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and faced 3rd and 7 from their own 13. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 10. Ekeler then broke free for a 72 yard touchdown run and a 14-3 Chargers lead. After a touchback, Mayfield went to Van Jefferson for 16. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Mayfield went to Jefferson for 22. On 3r and 3 from the Chargers 23, Brown ran for the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Rams were only down 14-10. Yet the rest of the game belonged to the Chargers defense.

After a touchback, the Chargers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 22 with 32 seconds left. Herbert threw 3 incompletions. Dicker hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Chargers at the intermission. After a third quarter touchback, Herbert hit Ekeler for 17 and Wiliams for 14. Kelley gained 17 and Ekeler added 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 15, Herbert gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 6, Herbert went to Gerald Everett for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Chargers. The Chargers in the fourth quarter took over at their own 30. Herbert went to Allen for 28. Herbert hit Ekeler for 14 and Allen for 8. Kelley added 8. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Donald Parham for the touchdown with 12 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. The 10-6 Chargers are in playoff form. 31-10 Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. The 7-8 Steelers needed to win this week and next week and get help to make the playoffs and avoid Mike Tomlin’s first losing season. The 10-5 Ravens are in the playoffs but have lost 2 straight without Lamar Jackson. Whenever these teams play, the results are the same: A defensive head-knocker that goes down to the wire, with home field rarely ever mattering. After an opening touchback, the Steelers moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete. The 15 play, 73 yard, 8 minute drive had the Steelers settling for a 21 yard Chris Boswell field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Ravens from their own 27 responded with 15 play, 61 yard, 8 minute drive of their own. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 12 to start the second quarter, Tyler Huntley threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit from 30 for a 3-3 game. With 3 1/2 minutes left in a bone-crushing first half, a 48 yard Boswell field goal try to give the Steelers the lead was no good. The Ravens after a false start faced 1st and 15 from their own 33. JK Dobbins ran for 17, 5 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 41 at the 2 minute warning, Tyler Huntley gained 2. Dobbins gained 12. Huntley gained 9. On 3rd and 16 from the Pittsburgh 22, Dobbins gained 7. Yet defensive unnecessary roughness on the play was a killer. On the next play, with 7 seconds in the half, Huntley hit Likely for the touchdown and the 10-3 Ravens lead at the break. The second half was more defense. Tucker hit from 51 in the third quarter to give the Ravens a 13-3 lead.

Boswell connected from 51 and in the fourth quarter hit a 33 yarder to get the Steelers within 13-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The defenses dug in and the Steelers began their last drive of regulation with 4:16 left at their own 20. On 3rd and 1, Pickett got the yard. Pickett hit Pat Freiermuth for 20 and Steven Sims for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 13, Pickett kept it and with considerable help from his offensive lineman was carried to the first down after initially being stopped cold. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 10, Pickett threw a perfect fade to Najee Harris for the touchdown. The Steelers led 16-13 with one minute left. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to their own 38 with 20 seconds left. Huntley went deep and was intercepted. The only turnover of the game denied Tucker a chance to tie it. The 10-6 Ravens are in the playoffs but have lost 3 straight. Their chance at winning the AFC North took a serious hit. The 8-8 Steelers are still clinging to playoff life. The last 2 weeks, Pickett overcame 10-point second half deficits without a touchdown to throw his only touchdown in the final minute. 16-13 Steelers

Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals was the Monday night game. This game was supposed to be about football. The 12-3 Bills were at the 11-4 Bengals. The Bills with a win this and next week would wrap up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bengals with a win would wrap up the AFC North and have an outside shot at home field advantage. Everything was on the line. Yet 9 minutes in, this game all of a sudden became about much more than football. Starting with football, the Bengals after a touchback made it look easy. Defensive pass interference on the first play meant 29 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 37, Joe Burrow gained 2.Burrow then went to Hurst for 21. Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Bills after a touchback moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 3 from the Cincinnati 7, Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass hit a 25 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7-3. The Bengals took over at their own 32. A Joe Mixon run set the Bengals up with 2nd and 3 at their own 39. Although there were still 51 minutes left, the next play would be the final play of the game. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 13 yards to the Buffalo 48. Burrow was tackled by Bills defender Damar Hamlin. After the tackle, both players got up. Then the nightmare unfolded.

A few seconds later out of nowhere, Hamlin collapsed to the ground. The collision between these two players looked routine. There was nothing illegal about the play, just a shoulder to the chest. Hamlin was not breathing. The medical personnel came out to try and get him into the ambulance but he was on the ground for several minutes. After 20 minutes of players praying and sobbing, he was finally put in the ambulance. Yet there was no thumbs up sign or anything encouraging to make the fans cheer. Players have seen brutal injuries. They have seen legs get broken. They have seen players get paralyzed. We all have. Yet here was a player at risk of dying on the football field. This has never happened before. A decade ago, Korey Stringer died in practice. In 1971, Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field and later died that afternoon at the hospital. Yet this was a player at risk of dying right on the spot at the field.

Players were crying and hugging each other. The Cincinnati crowd was stone cold silent. Bills Coach Sean McDermott and Bengals Coach Zach Taylor had serious conversations at midfield as dueling quarterbacks Allen and Burrow hugged each other. At first the game was suspended. The hope was that Hamlin would be ok. Unfortunately, the news was bad. He suffered a heart attack on the field and had to have his heart shocked back into rhythmic beating. He was alive but in critical condition at the Cincinnati Medical Center. He had a tube in his throat to help him breathe.

Both coaches consulted extensively with the players as players from the Bengals went into the Bills locker room to offer support. Meanwhile, the league office in New York was in constant contact with both coaches and the players’ union. The decision was made to postpone the rest of the game. No more football would be played that night. As for when or if the game would be finished, those questions would not be answered Monday night. This game has major ramifications for the playoffs and the inside track to the Super Bowl. Yet Monday night, the only thing that mattered was that Damar Hamlin was fighting for his life. This was not a safety issue. There was no concussion. There was no way to protect a player from this type of situation. It truly was an unprecedented situation. There was plenty of speculation on any other issues Hamlin may have had. Out of respect for his family, this football column will not surrender to the ghoulishness of wild speculation. What matters is that Hamlin lives.

On a positive note, Hamlin’s GoFundMe page exploded with donations and love. In 2020 he began raising money for young children. It was a toy drive. Before the game, he had raised about $2,500. By Wednesday night, donations reached 7 million dollars. Here is the link to that page.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive

While many of the Bills players flew back to Buffalo Monday night, several players stayed in Cincinnati to visit Hamlin at the hospital. Some Bengals players joined them at the hospital. Fans of both teams gathered outside the hospital and prayed.

While the most important issue remained the health of this 24-year-old man, the NFL also had to figure out the logistics of resuming the game without appearing heartless. Because there is a 2-week gap between the Conference Title Games and the Super Bowl, the league had some wiggle room to postpone the entire Week 18 regular season finale schedule of all the games. The league announced on Tuesday that this game would not be continued this week. The league also announced on Wednesday that all Week 18 games would go on as scheduled, including games involving the Bills and Bengals separately. If both of these teams were out of the playoffs, canceling the game would be easy. Yet this is a key game that could determine home field advantage throughout the playoffs. It may be necessary to postpone the Wildcard round. There are no easy solutions. Again, Damar Hamlin’s situation is far more important. Nevertheless, an entire league with billions of dollars on the line needs to figure out how to try and make none of the playoff teams have a competitive disadvantage. By Wednesday night, Hamlin was still in critical condition and needing a ventilator to breathe. He was slightly improving from Monday night but far from out of the woods. The league said they would take care of him financially even though he has not played the required 3 years to vest for his NFL pension. Pray for him. 7-3 Bengals, game suspended, no winner.

eric

NFL 2022 Week 17 Prequel

Thursday, December 29, 2022, 8pm

Dallas Cowboys (-10) at Tennessee Titans — The 7-8 Titans have lost five straight, including last week at home to previously one—win Houston. They are tied atop the woeful AFC South bu do not hold the tie-breaker. The 11-4 Cowboys are coming off an emotional win over Philadelphia. The chance for a hangover is great and the spread is high given that Tennessee has a defense. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Sunday, January 1, 2023, 1pm

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons (-3 1/2) — Both teams are done for the year and down to a backup and third string quarterbacks. Cordarelle Patterson is still a game-breaker. Go with the home field. Falcons win but fail to cover.

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-5 1/2) — The 7-8 Lions still have faint playoff hopes. The Bears are long done. Inside the dome at home, go with the fast-paced Detroit offense. Lions cover

Jacksonville Jaguars (-4) at Houston Texans — The 7-8 Jaguars are tied atop the horrible AFC South and hold the tie-breaker. The Texans have only won twice, including last week at Tennessee. The Texans lose close games. Trevor Lawrence is on a mission and Doug Pederson has them ahead of schedule. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-13 1/2) — Forget the high spread. The 12-3 Chiefs are tied for the conference lead but do not hold the tie-breaker. The Broncos were obliterated last week by 37 points, getting Nathaniel Hackett and a pair of assistants fired. The Broncos defense normally fights hard, but the Chiefs are on a mission and Patrick Mahomes is playing lights out. Chiefs cover

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-2 1/2) — The Dolphins have lost four straight to fall to 8-7. They still make the playoffs if they win out. The Patriots have lost consecutive games to drop to 7-8 and the brink of playoff elimination. The home team usually wins this game. The Patriots win with defense and running the ball. Go with the home field and the cold weather. Patriots cover

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants (-5) — The 8-6-1 Giants are in the playoff picture. The Colts are not. The Giants never win easily. Saquon Barkley runs well but Daniel Jones does not engineer blowouts. The Colts lose close games. Giants win but fail to cover

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles (-7) — The Saints at 6-9 are only one game back in the lowly NFC South. The 13-2 Eagles have the best record in football but have not locked up their division. They lead the conference by one game and are closing non home field advantage. The Eagles will be angry after losing at archival Dallas last week. Gardner Minshew is not Jalen Hurts, but he is good enough. With Hurts or Minshew, this is a mismatch. Eagles cover

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) — The 6-9 Panthers trail the 7-8 Buccaneers in the bad NFC South. Tom Brady has never had a losing season. The Panthers have a decent defense. The Buccaneers barely survived lowly Arizona. Rooting against Brady could be a fool’s errand, but with weather not being a factor, go with the Carolina defense. Upset special, Panthers win outright

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders (-2 1/2) — The Browns are done. The Commanders at 7-7-1 are desperate. Last week Taylor Heinecke was benched in favor of Carson Wentz. With nothing to play for but pride, the Browns will not pose a threat. The Commanders have everything to play for and will. Commanders cover

4pm

San Francisco 49ers (-5 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The 49ers have a suffocating defense and Brock Purdy is the best Mr. Irrelevant in NFL history. Josh McDaniels needed two years to destroy Denver, but he has taken a wrecking ball to the Raiders in one season. Now McDaniels is announcing the official destruction of the team by benching Derek Carr. Jarrett Stidham will get the nod despite never starting an NFL game. The Carr benching will upset Davante Adams. Josh Jacobs already wants out. Al Davis is rolling over in his grave. McDaniels is as McDaniels does. 49ers cover

New York Jets (-2 1/2) at Seattle Seahawks — Both teams are on life support. Zach Wilson has been benched, most likely for good. Mike White returns rom injury. The Jets have the better defense. Geno Smith would love to beat the team that gave up on him. Pete Carroll would love to get revenge on the team that fired him. Go with the vengeance motive and the 12th man home crowd. Seahawks cover

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-3) — The 12-3 Vikings are one game back in the conference race for home field advantage. The Packers have won three straight and at 7-8 have slim playoff hopes. The Vikings are the better team with explosive offensive weapons, but Aaron Rodgers is on a mission. The Packers are desperate and at home. Packers cover

Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers (-6 1/2) — The Rams get a de facto extra home game. The Rams obliterated Denver by 37 points last week in an otherwise forgettable season. The 9-6 Chargers clinched a playoff birth. Justin Herbert has too many weapons and the Rams are injury-riddled. Yet the spread is too high for a team that wins ugly. There might be more Rams fans in the stands. Chargers win but fail to cover

8pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-3) — The 7-8 Steelers survived their Immaculate Reception rematch and now face a 10-5 Ravens team that has struggled in recent weeks without Lamar Jackson. With these teams, throw out the records. Home field does not matter. The Raiders are in the playoffs but hurting. The Steelers have won four of five as Mike Tomlin seeks to avoid his first losing season. Go with the healthier team unafraid of a hostile environment. The Steelers are built for running the football in cold weather. Upset special, Steelers win outright

January 2, 2023, 8pm

Buffalo Bills (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals — This is the biggest match between these teams since 1988. The 12-3 Bills are tied atop the AFC and own the tie-breaker in the race for home field advantage. The 11-4 Bengals are one game back. This is a heavyweight prize fight. Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are both for real. Both teams have a good defense. In cold weather, expect a hard-nosed fight. These teams are dead even, so go with the home field. Upset special, Bengals win outright

eric

NFL 2022 Week 16 Recap

Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets was the Thursday night game. The 6-8 Jaguars took on the 7-7 Jets in a battle for playoff survival. The Jaguars entered only one game back in the woeful AFC South while the Jets can only hope for a wildcard. On the 3rd play from scrimmage facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29, Trevor Lawrence was sacked and fumbled. The Jets took over at the Jacksonville 16, lost 3 yards, and settled for a 37 yard Greg Zuerlein field goal. The Jets led 3-0 less than 90 seconds into the game. Their offense took the remaining 58 1/2 minutes off. After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Jets 14. Lawrence threw incomplete. Riley Patterson hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-3. The Jaguars got it back at their own 4 yard line. Lawrence hit Hasty for 11, Evan Engram for 14, and Arnold for 17. Lawrence scrambled for 13. Etienne ran for one, 9, 4, 9, and one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Lawrence got in to cap the 16 play, 96 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-3 Jaguars in the second quarter. The rest of the game belonged to the Jags defense and Patterson. Robert Saleh benched Zach Wilson in the third quarter and went with 4th string quarterback Chris Streveler to no avail. Patterson hit from 45 in the second quarter, from 41 in the third quarter, and from 47 in the fourth quarter. Both teams are 7-8 on the year. 19-3 Jets

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens — The 5-9 Falcons entered only one game back in the wretched AFC South. The Ravens were 9-5 but were struggling on offense without Lamar Jackson. The Ravens took over at midfield and Tyler Huntley went deep to newly acquired Sammy Watkins for 40. The Ravens settled for a 21 yard Justin Tucker field goal to lead 3-0. Tucker then had a 55 yard try blocked but hit from 27 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Ravens. The Ravens recovered an Atlanta fumble at their own 30. John Harbaugh went straight ground and pound. Edwards gained 11 and 5. Huntley added 14. JK Dobbins added 14, 5 and 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 25, Huntley gained 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 12, Huntley gained 4. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Huntley hit DeMarcus Robinson for the touchdown. The only completed pass on the 13 play, 70 yard, 7 minute drive made it 14-0 Ravens when Huntley ran in the 2 point conversion. That was the only touchdown in this ugly game. Younghoe Koo hit a 32 yard field goal for the Falcons on the lsat play of the half and a 34 yarder midway through the third quarter to get the Falcons within 14-6. Tucker hit from 21 one minute into the fourth quarter to make it 17-6 Ravens. Koo hit from 37 to get the Falcons within 8 with 2:03 to play. Edwards from his own 28 ran for 3 and 8 as the Ravens ran out the clock. The 10-5 Ravens clinched a playoff birth but are one game back in the AFC North. 17-9 Ravens

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers — The Lions started 1-6 but have gone 6-1 since and at 7-7 entered with playoff possibilities. The 5-9 Panthers were only one game back in the awful NFC South. The Panthers began at their own 22. On the first play from scrimmage, Chuba Hubbard got around the end for a 30 yard gain. 2 plays later Hubbard carries again for a 35 yard gain. On a drive with 0 pass attempts, Raheem Blackshear ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Eddie Pineiro kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Lions at their own 40. On 3rd and 10, Jared Goff went deep to DJ Chark for 39. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 17, Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 13. Goff hit Zylstra for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Lions got it back and moved from their own 9 on a 13 play, 82 yard, 7 minute drive. The Lions had a chance to take the lead on 1st and goal at the 8 to start the second quarter. Instead Goff fumbled the snap and Gross-Matos recovered for the Panthers at their own 9. Sam Darnold hit Tommy Tremble for 18. Donta Foreman ripped off a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 28, Darnold went to Thomas for 12. Darnold then ran for 13 and for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 8 and followed up a 91 yard drive with a 92 yard drive that took 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Darnold went deep to Marshall for 36. Foreman ran for 21. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 26, Steve Wilks went for it and Darnold gained 3. Darnold hit Blacksheer for 12. Foreman ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Panthers with 2:08 left in the half.

The Panthers got it back at their own 14 with one minute left and quickly moved to the Detroit 18. Pineiro hit from 37 to make it 24-7 Panthers to end the half. The Panthers got it back at their own 26 in the third quarter. Foreman ran for 15. On 3rd and 13 from their own 48, Darnold went deep to DJ moore for 47. Darnold then went to Moore for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 31-7 Panthers. At this point the Panthers coasted. The Lions reached the end zone one in the third quarter and once in the fourth quarter, but Pineiro added two more field goals in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers up by 17 with 1:56 left. The Lions got one more field goal in the waning seconds but fell to 7-8. The Panthers at 6-9 are still alive for their division crown. 37-23 Panthers

Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears — The 11-3 Bills were taking on a horrendous Bears team. The Bears began at their own 36. Justin Fields hit Byron Pringle for 20 and David Montgomery ran for 28. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Fields hit Dante Pettis for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Bills took over at their own 29. Josh Allen went to Dawson Knox for 24. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 43, Allen scrambled for 10. On 1st and 20 after offensive holding, Cook ran for 24. Allen hit Gabe Davis for a 19 yard touchdown. The extra point try by Tyler Bass was no good as the Bills trailed 7-6. Cairo Santos hit a 37 yard field goal for the Bears with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. With one minute left Bass missed a 38 yard field goal try as the Bears had the surprising 10-6 lead into the break. The second half brought the reality check.

The Bills began the third quarter at their own 14. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 15. On 3rd and 2 from their own 37, Allen hit Devin Singletary for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 44, Allen ran for 11. Singletary then ripped off a 33 yard touchdown run. Sean McDermott went for a 2 point conversion try, and Allen hit Shakir successfully to put the Bills up 14-10. The Bears then fumbled to set up the Bills at the Chicago 35. On 3rd and 2, Cook ran for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Bills. An interception of Allen set up the Bears at the Buffalo 18. Yet all the Bears could muster was a 35 yard field goal to get within 21-13 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Bills got it back at their own 44. Singletary ran for 8 and then 25 more. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 20, Allen hit Hines for 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 4, Allen ran it in to put the Bills up 28-13 with 3:45 left. The Bears turned it over on downs at their own 20. On 4th and 3, Allen hit Knox for a 13 yard touchdown with one minute left. The Bills outscored the Bears 29-3 in the second half. After 20 years out of the playoffs, the 12-3 Bills this decade have clinched the AFC East for the 3rd straight year. 35-13 Bills

New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns — The 5-9 Saints entered only one game back in the awful NFC South while the 6-8 Browns were in a desperate spot. The bad weather led to a scoreless first quarter. An interception of Red rifle Andy Dalton set up the Browns at the Saints 30. On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd and 3 from the Saints 12, Deshaun Watson ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Browns got it back at their own 28 and embarked on a mind-numbing 17 play, 60 yard, 9 minute drive. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Saints 12, a pair of Watson incompletions sandwiched around a failed run meant a 30 yard Cade York field goal had the Browns up 10-0 with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Saints took over at their own 27 and moved 68 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 7, a run by Taysom Hill only gained 2 yards. Wil Lutz hit a 23 yard field goal to get the Saints within 10-3 at halftime. The Saints began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 from their own 42. Alvin Kamara gained 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 39, Dalton hit Shaheed for 14. Hill gained 13. Hill ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-10. An interception of Watson set up the Saints at the Cleveland 15. On 3rd and 8, Dalton hit Johnson for 9. Kamara ran for a 4 yard touchdown to put the Saints up by 7 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Browns moved from their own 10 to a 4th and 2 at their own 39. Watson threw incomplete. The defense held and the Browns got it back at their own 20 with 5 minutes. They needed 18 plays and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 15 with 43 seconds left. Watson threw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and 10, Watson was sacked. Both teams are 6-9, but the Brown are done. 17-10 Saints

Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs —The 7-7 Seahawks walked around shirtless pregame in subzero temperatures. The 11-3 Chiefs were not impressed. The Chiefs took over at their own 37. Pacheco ran for 7, 5 and 5. Patrick Mahomes hit Jerick McKinnon for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 16, Pacheco gained 3. Mahomes hit Kadarius Toney for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. In the second quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 47. Mahomes went to McKinnon and Travis Kelce for a pair of 6 yard gains. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 36, Mahomes went to Kelce for 27. Mahomes went to McKinnon for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 29. Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Chiefs. The Seahawks managed a field goal before the half, but they were overmatched. An interception of Geno Smith set the Chiefs up at their own 20. Mahomes went to Kelce for 20 and again for a gain of 52. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mahomes ran it in to make it 24-3 Chiefs with 5 minutes left. The Seahawks reached the end zone once but fell to 7-8. While they do not hold the tie-breaker, the 12-3 Chiefs are tied atop the conference. This makes Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 24-10 Chiefs

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings — The 8-5-1 Giants got a big win at Washington last week. The 11-3 Vikings made NFL history last week by overcoming a 33-0 third quarter deficit to win in overtime 39-36. The Vikings began at their own 16. Kirk Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 25 and again for 13. Dalvin Cook ran for 6 and 8. Cousins went to TJ Hockenson for 8 and again for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, the Giants moved to the Minnesota 39. On the first play of the second quarter, Daniel Jones went to Bellinger for 16 but fumbled the ball away. The Vikings took over at their own 36. They moved 10 plays in 5 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 16, Cousins was sacked. Greg Joseph hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings.The Giants took over at their own 31. Jones hit James for 12 and Saquon Barkley for 7. Barkley ran for 7 and 3. Jones hit Barkley for 7. Jones then ran for 14. Jones went to Isaiah Hodgins for a 7 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 69 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive to get the Giants within 10-7. Graham Gano hit a pair of 44 yard field goal in the third quarter to have the Giants up after three quarters. The fourth quarter was wild.

After a touchback, Cousins hit Mundt for 16. Cousins went to Jefferson for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 25, Cousins hit Jefferson for just enough as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Vikings facing 3rd and 5 from the Giants 15. Cousins hit Hockenson for the touchdown to make it 17-13 Vikings. Jones was intercepted but the Vikings then turned it over on downs. The Giants from their own 45 moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Giants 37. Barkley gained nothing and Jones threw incomplete. Gano nailed a 55 yard field goal to get the Giants within 17-16 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Giants got it back but quickly had to punt from their own 31. Gillan had his punt blocked, setting the Vikings up at the Giants 29. On 3rd and 10 from the Giants 17, Cousins went to Jefferson for the touchdown. with 3minutes left the Vikings led 24-16. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Jones hit Darrius Slayton for 32. With 2:01 left, the Giants were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 2 at the Giants 27. Barkley ran for the touchdown. Jones hit Bellinger for the 2 point conversion and a 24-24 game. The Vikings faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Cousins went to Jefferson for 16. With 19 seconds left the Vikings faced 3rd and 11 from their own 41. Cousins went to Jefferson for 17 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Jospeh came in for a field goal to try and win it, but from 61 yards out. Joseph was good. The 12-3 Vikings are one game back in the conference with 2 games left. The Giants are alive but are not in the playoffs yet. 27-24 Vikings

Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots — The 10-4 Bengals overcame a 17 point deficit last week. The Patriots lost to the Raiders on an insane lateral gone bad to fall to 7-7. This was a tale of 2 different games. The Bengals began at their own 22. Joe Burrow went to Wilcox for 8, to Tee Higgins for 39, to Joe Mixon for 17, and to Higgins again for a 9 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bengals led 6-0. The Bengals got it back at their own 41. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 41, Burrow ran for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 27, Mixon gained 4. Burrow went to Trenton Irwin for a 23 yard touchdown. The point try failed but the Bengals led 12-0.

The Bengals got the ball back just shy of midfield and moved to a 1st and goal at the 2. Mixon ran it in but offensive holding nullified the touchdown. The second quarter began with Evan McPherson hitting a 28 yard field goal to make it 15-0 Bengals. The Bengals got the ball back at their own 20 with 2:06 left in the half. Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 11. On 3rd and 1 from his own 40, Burrow went to Wilcox for 10. A defensive facemask added 15. On 3rd and 8 from the New England 33, Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for 9. Burrow went to Higgins for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Burrow went to Irwin for the touchdown. With 14 seconds left in the half, the Bengals were dominating 22-0. The second half was a completely different ballgame.

In the third quarter the Bengals took over from their own 45 looking to deliver the knockout blow. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 32, Burrow hit Mixon for 2. Yet offensive holding instead meant 3rd and 11. Burrow found Marcus Jones. Problem: Jones plays defense for the Patriots. Jones returned the interception 69 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Patriots were within 22-6. The Patriots got the ball back at their own 23. Mac Jones hit Jakobi Meyers for 11. On 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 19 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Patriots facing 3rd and 10 from the Cincinnati 41. Jones went to Bourne for 32. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Jones hit Bourne for the touchdown. The 2 pain try failed, but with 13 minutes left in regulation the Patriots were within 22-12.

The Bengals moved from their own 27 to a 3rd and 4 at the New England 25. Burrow threw incomplete. With 9 minutes left, McPherson’s 43 yard field goal try was no good. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 42. Rhamondre Stevenson got the yard. Jones went to Bourne for a 28 yard gain. Intentional grounding and a false start had the Patriots facing 3rd and 29 at the Cincinnati 48. One more stop would pretty much end the game. Instead. Jones connected with Meyers on a 48 yard touchdown. Nick Folk missed his 2nd extra point but the Patriots were within 4 points with 6 minutes left.

After a touchback, the Bengals faced faced 3rd and 3 from their own 44 with 3:12 to play. A short completion from Burrow to Chase was fumbled. The Patriots had a short field at the Cincinnati 43 with a chance for a comeback for the ages. With one minute left in regulation the Patriots had 1st and goal at the 5. Stevenson got the carry and fumbled. The Bengals recovered. The Patriots took all 3 timeouts on defense and got the ball back with 30 seconds to play at their own 24. With 9 seconds left, on 4th and 15 from their own 34, Jones threw deep incomplete. The Patriots were game, but they are now 7-8 and up against the wall. The 11-4 Bengals are in the playoffs and lead the AFC North by one game. 22-18 Bengals

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — The 7-7 Titans came in having lost 4 straight, but all they needed to do was beat the worst team in the NFL at home. The Texans had only one once all year but did play two of the very best teams in the league tough the last couple weeks. Malik Willis got the start in place of an injured ryan Tannehill. In the first quarter Mike Vrabel gambled with the Titans facing 4th and 1 just shy of midfield. Willis gained 3. On the next play Derrick Henry rumbled for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Davis Mills gained 4. Driskel came in for a play and hit Jordan for 15. Mills came back in and on 3rd and 2 from his own 38 went deep to Akins for 30. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Mills kept it, gained 5, fumbled the ball, and was bailed out when Rex Burkhead fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown the hard way. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-7.

The Texans got it back to start the second quarter at their own 41. They move 52 yards in 13 plays and over 8 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 7 from the Tennessee 9, Mills threw incomplete followed by a completion that gained only 2 yards. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Texans. In the third quarter the Texans moved from their own 28 to a 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 47. Lovie Smith gambled, brought Driskel in for one play again, and saw him get stopped for no gain. Mike Vrabel went ground and pound. Willis gained 12. Henry added 6. Burks gained 15. Henry added 6 more. Willis ran for the 14 yard touchdown. Without a single pass, the Titans took a 14-10 lead. Mills was then intercepted, but on 4th and 8 from the Houston 38, Willis threw incomplete.

The defenses dug in. The Titans took over at their own 31 and began the fourth quarter with 1st and 10 from the Houston 44. Then came the key play in the game. Henry gained 6 but coughed it up. The Texans recovered at their own 42. They moved 54 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 6, Mills was sacked. Then a short pass only ga8ined 5 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter on 4th and goal at the 4, Lovie Smith opted for the field goal. Fairbairn hit from 22 to get the Texans within 14-13. The Texans got it back at their own 27. Mills hit Jordan for 6, Dorsett for 20, and Rodgers for 37. Mills went to Brandin Cooks for a 6 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Texans led by 5 with 3 minutes left. After a touchback, the Titans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 45. Willis was intercepted. The Titans got the ball back with 1:10 left and one timeout, but pinned at their own 4. With 5 seconds left, the Texans were at the Houston 43. Willis’s Hail Mary reached the end zone but was intercepted. The Titans lost their 5th straight to fall to 7-8. They’re AFC South lead evaporated. They are tied for the division lead but do not hold the tie-breaker. 19-14 Titans

Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers — The Commanders were on a tear in recent weeks but suffered a home defeat to the Giants to fall to 7-6-1 and in dire straights. The 10-4 49ers were charging toward the playoffs with Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy and a nasty defense. The 49ers did manage to move from their own 35 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 15, but David-Price got stopped. Kyle Shanahan gambled, and on 4th and 1 Christian McCaffrey got stopped as well. The Commanders from that spot went on a mind-numbing 17 play drive that moved them 84 yards and took a ridiculous 11 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and goal at the one, Robinson got stopped. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it. On 4th and goal at the one out of the shotgun, Antonio Gibson also got stopped cold. The goal line stand in the second quarter kept the game scoreless.

From their own one, McCaffrey gained 3 and 9. On 3rd and 9 from his own 14, Purdy hit Jennings for 15. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half, Ray-Ray McCloud broke free for a 71 yard touchdown run. The 99 yard drive made it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 14 and this time Purdy was quickly intercepted. The Commanders took over at the San Francisco 31. On 3rd and 5, Taylor Heinecke hit Jahan Dotson for 9. On 3rd and 14 from the San Francisco 21, Heinecke hit Curtis Samuel for exactly 14. With 22 seconds left in the half, Heinecke went to Dotson for a 4 yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7. Yet while the first half was a defensive bonelock, the second half was more wide open.

The 49ers took over in the third quarter at their own 24. Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 13 and George Kittle for 13 more. McCaffrey gained 3, 7 and 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 34, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 14-7 49ers. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter of a close game, Riverboat ron Rivera gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Heinecke got stopped cold and the 49ers had a short field. 2 plays later Purdy went to Kittle for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 49ers.

After a touchback, the Commanders struck quickly. Heinecke went to Dotson for 18 and then went deep to Terry McLaurin for 51. Heinecke went back to McLaurin for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Commanders within 21-14. A penalty on the kicking team had the 49ers set up at their own 40. Purdy connected with Aiyuk for a 54 yard gain. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 5, a sack of Purdy and a false start killed the drive. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Robbie Gould hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-14 49ers. A Commanders fumble led to Gould hitting from 23 with 12 minutes left in regulation. An interception of Heinecke meant another short field and a third Gould field goal to make it 30-14 49ers with 9 minutes left.

Heinecke was benched in favor of Carson Wentz. Wentz moved the Commanders 82 yards and threw a 20 yard touchdown to Samuel to get the Commanders within 30-20 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The 2 point conversion try failed, and so did the onside kick. Yet another short field had the 49ers at the Washington 33. McCaffrey ran for a one yard touchdown with just over 2 minutes left to lock up the win. The 7-7-1 Commanders are in trouble while the 11-4 49ers are NFC West champions. With their defense, they could make a deep playoff run. 37-20 49ers

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys — The 13-1 Eagles took on the 10-4 Cowboys in a high stakes game for both teams. A win for the Eagles would give them the NFC East title and give them a near stranglehold in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. The Cowboys suffered a shocking loss last week at Jacksonville when they blew a 17-point second half lead. The Eagles would have to play this game without the injured Jalen Hurts. It was Minshew mustache mania as Gardner Minshew got the start. This was a heavyweight title fight. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Dallas 10. A run went nowhere and then Minshew only gained 3 more. Jake Elliott hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. After a touchback, the Cowboys were soon at their own 47. Dak Prescott was intercepted by Josh Sweat, who returned the pick 42 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 10-0 Eagles.

The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Prescott gained 13. On 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 8 and Tony Pollard for 9. Prescott ran for 10. Pollard then caught a pass from Prescott for 9 and ran for 8 more down to the one. Ezekiel Elliot got the last yard to culminate the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and get the Cowboys within 10-7. Three plays after a touchback on 2nd and 12 from his own 43, Minshew was intercepted by Kearse. The Cowboys took over at the Philadelphia 47. On 4th and 8, Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Prescott threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact was a killer penalty that meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 36, Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown and the 14-10 Cowboys lead in the second quarter.

The Eagles took over at their own 26 and Minshew went to Dallas Goedert for 25 and Quez Watkins for 19. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 25, Minshew went to AJ Brown for 7. Kenneth Gainwell picked up 11, 4 and 2, but on 3rd and goal at the one, Gainwell was stopped. Kevin Sirianni gambled, and on 4th and goal at the one, Minshew got in for the touchdown to make it 17-14 Eagles. The Cowboys after a touchback moved 72 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Prescott threw incomplete. With 1:149 left in the half, Mike McCarthy was not in a gambling mood. Brett Maher hit the 21 yard field for a 17-17 tie.

After a touchback, the Eagles quickly moved 46 yards in 10 plays. With 24 seconds left the Eagles had 1st and 10 at the Dallas 24. After a false start, Minshew threw 3 straight incompletions. With 6 seconds left, Elliott hit a 47 yard field goal to put the Eagles up 20-17 at the intermission. The Eagles took over in the third quarter at their own 23. Minshew went to Goedert for 22. On 3rd and 9 from their own 46, Minshew found Gainwell for 20. Minshew hot Brown for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 13, a run lost a yard. Kevin Sirianni gambled on 4th and 3 rather than just take the short field goal. The gamble paid off as Minshew hit DeVonta Smith for the 14 yard touchdown. The Eagles had breathing room up 27-17.

The Cowboys soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 34. Mike McCarthy gambled. Both coaches were taking big risks on offense, but given how well both offense were playing, these decisions were not completely crazy. Elliott ripped off a 22 yard gain. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Philadelphia 26, Pollard got stopped for no gain. Then Prescott threw incomplete. Maher hit the 44 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 27-20. Minshew had been playing well, but 2 plays later a touchback from his own 40, Minshew fumbled a shotgun snap. The Cowboys recovered for a short field at the Philly 31. Prescott went to Dalton Schultz for 21. On 3rd and goal at the 12, Prescott went to Gallup for the score. This thriller of a game was tied 27-27 after three quarters.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. After gained 5 and 3, this time Miles Sanders got the deuce. Minshew then went to Smith for 16 as the Eagles began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 10 just past midfield. Minshew went to Smith for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 26, Minshew hit Brown for 14. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 9, Minshew went to Smith for the touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation, The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Eagles up 34-27. After a touchback, Prescott went to Ferguson for 24. Yet consecutive sacks of Prescott had the Cowboys facing 3rd and 30 at their own 29. Prescott may not be Roger Staubach, but the Cowboys needed a Hail Mary and got one. An inexcusable lapse by the Philadelphia defense allowed Prescott to go to newly acquired speedster TY Hilton for a 52 yard gain. Prescott then went to Pollard for 13. Prescott hit Lamb for a 7 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left in regulation, this shootout was tied for the third time at 34-34.

Minshew and Prescott had been going blow for blow. The Eagles took over at their own 22 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Dallas 46 with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Eagles were one first down from long field goal range. Yet Minshew was then intercepted. The Cowboys moved from their own 40 to a 3rd and 5 at the Philly 29. Prescott threw incomplete. From 48 yard out, Maher was good as the third lead change of the game had the Cowboys up 37-34 with 2:19 left. One play after a touchback, Sanders fumbled. The Cowboys recovered at the Philly 21. Prescott quickly gained 16 as the Cowboys were 5 yards from icing the game. Instead Prescott got sacked. On 4th and goal at the 3, Mike Mccarthy lined up to go for it, but the Eagles were not fooled. After a delay of game penalty, Maher hit the 26 yard field goal. The Cowboys led by 6.

Yet despite consecutive turnovers, the Eagles after a touchback had 1:41 to work with. The Eagles moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 19. Minshew then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 33 seconds left. The Cowboys took timeouts on defense, figuring that if the Eagles took the lead, the Cowboys could still try and get a long field goal. A pair of incompletions set up 4th and 10 with 20 seconds left. Minshew went to the end zone and threw his 3rd straight incompletion. The offensive shootout was decided by a late defensive stand. Both quarterbacks torched the opposing defense. Minshew was 24 of 40 for 355 yards, 2 touchdowns, but 2 costly interceptions. Prescott was 27 of 35 for 347 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. The 13-2 Eagles and 11-4 Cowboys are both in the playoffs. The Eagles still have not clinched the AFC East. They now only have a one game lead in the race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Yet they nearly won with a backup quarterback on the road against a very good division foe. A rubber match in the playoffs would be well worth watching, as both teams expect to see each other in the playoffs. 40-34 Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Saturday night Christmas Eve game. This game was supposed to honor the 50 year anniversary of what Steelers fans call the Immaculate Reception and the Raiders refer to as the Immaculate Deception. Whatever one thinks of the play, real life tragedy took center stage before the game. Franco Harris was supposed to be at the stadium to have his number retired. He would be only the third player in Steelers history to receive that honor. On the Tuesday before the game, he did radio interviews talking about how excited he was. Then Wednesday morning, just like that, he was gone. Died. The entire football world was leaving, but for the Steelers it was an unfathomable shock. Franco Harris was only 72. He had no outward signs that anything was wrong with him.

Yet this was also a football game between a pair of desperate 6-8 teams clinging to playoff life. The Steelers under Mike Tomlin had never had a losing season. They started 3-7 but came in having won 3 of 4. As for the Riders, they started 2-7 under Josh McDaniels but came in winners of 4 of their last 5. Yet the Raiders had been plagued all season by blown fourth quarter leads and blow double digit leads. Every time it was the same patters. The offense would get one touchdown, take the rest of the night off, and rely on the defense to save them. The defense would get exhausted in the fourth quarter until the collapse was complete.

The reasons ere always the same. The Raiders blew a 17 point lead twice and even a 20 point lead once because of Josh McDaniels refusing to run the football with a lead. When the other team knows you are going to run the football, and you know that they know this, you run the football anyway. That sends a message. It is called in football terms imposing your will. Mike Tomlin runs the football. McDaniels prefers dink and dunk West Coast Offense passes that do not close out games. In the fourth quarter with a lead, it is imperative to run the football. In brutal cold weather and in snow, it is vital to run the football. This game was played with snow coming down. Yet McDaniels far too often abandoned the run. Just like 50 years ago, this game was a defensive slugfest that did the football elders of both teams proud.

The Raiders began at their own 28 and Josh McDaniels smartly began letting his battering ram Josh Jacobs batter away. Jacobs gained 4, 7 and 2. Derek Carr then went to Foster Moreau for 10. Jacobs gained another 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 29, Carr took the quarterback sneak and got the tough yard. A sack of Carr had the Raiders facing 3rd and 16 at the Pittsburgh 34. Yet Carr calmly went to Amir Abdullah for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 14, Carr fred a very short pass to Hunter Renfrow at the sideline. Renfrow made a ridiculous move to fake out the defender, stay inbounds, juke toward the middle of the field, and dive for the touchdown. Neither the snow, the cold, or the wave of emotion from the Steelers fans fazed the Raiders on that first drive. The 14 play, 72 yard drive took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Raiders led 7-0. Unfortunately, the remaining 52 minutes were a mess on offense.

While the offense malfunctioned, the Raiders defense played inspired. The Steelers moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Raiders 23 in the second quarter. Jalen Warren got the carry and was blow up for a 2 yard loss. Chris Boswell came in for a 43 yard field goal try. His kick was no good. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 12 and moved 62 yards in 15 plays and 8 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 26, Kenny Pickett threw incomplete. This time from 44 yards out, Boswell was good. The Steelers were within 7-3 with 1:49 left in the half. Yet after a touchback, the Raiders got aggressive. Carr hit Moreau for 9 and Jacobs gained 10. On 3rd and 10 from their own 44, Carr went deep to Darren Waller for 34. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 22 with 24 seconds left, Carr threw 3 straight incompletions. Carlson came in with 5 seconds left hit a 40 yard field goal as the Raiders led 10-3 at halftime. Yet the Raiders spent the entire second half trying to protect that lead. The defense got no help from their offense.

In the third quarter the Steelers moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 35. After a run lost a yard, the Raiders got a major brea. Pickett was intercepted by Denzel Perryman, who returned the pick 24 yards to the Pittsburgh 47. The Raiders had the lead and the ball. All they had to do was run the ball, gain a couple of first downs, and rely on one of the best kickers in the league. In this game, a 13-3 lead would be a big deal. Yet Josh McDaniels never learns. On the very next play, Carr threw a pass over the middle that should have been caught by Moreau. instead it bounced off of his hands and was intercepted right back b Maulet. Maulet returned the pick 12 yards to set up the Steelers at their own 44.

The Steelers moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Raiders 33. Yet a run lost 2 yards and a short completion gained only one. On 4th and 4, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal from 52 yards out in less than ideal conditions. Again, Boswell was no good. Midway through the third quarter, the Raiders had gotten every break in the game. The Raiders moved from their own 42 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 41. One more first down would give them long field goal range and a shot at a 2 score lead. Then came a false start. On 2nd and 12, Carr again threw over the middle and was again intercepted. This time Minkah Fitzpatrick saved the Steelers. Yet as great as the Steelers defense was playing, so was the Raider defense. The Steelers quickly went 3 and out.

The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 30. Carr went to Renfrow for 11. Then came a major play in the game. Jacobs took an end around for a 36 yard gain all the way to the Pittsburgh 23 and easily in field goal range. Yet a mindless offensive facemask penalty on Moreau wiped out the entire play. Instead, the Raiders had 2nd and 25. First Moreau dropped the pass that caused Carr’s first interception, and now he committed the team’s first penalty at the worst possible time. A shockingly clean game had 0 penalties in the first half. Yet this penalty was a killer. On 3rd and 12 from his own 39, Carr was sacked for a 13 yard loss. On the first play of the fourth quarter, things got worse for the Raiders. AJ Cole is a great punter in the tradition of Ray Guy and Shane Lechler, but punting in this weather was like trying to kick a brick. Cole shanked a 29 yard punt to give the Steelers the ball at their own 45.

The Steelers moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Raiders 24. Pickett threw incomplete and then completed a pass for only 2 yards. Again, the Raiders defense held. This time Boswell was good from 40 yards out. The Steelers were only down 10-6. With 10 minutes left, the Raiders needed to run the football. Yet Josh McDaniels is just too stubborn to stick with the run. The Steelers were putting 8 men in the box, but that is no excuse. Jacobs had been playing well all season when it mattered most. Now it mattered most. On 2nd and 8 from their own 42, McDaniels insisted on passing. Carr was sacked for a 10 yard loss to kill the drive. The Steelers got it back at their own 21 with a full 6 minutes left and a chance to win.

The Raiders defense had to be exhausted. Despite being down on the scoreboard, Mike Tomlin stuck with the run. Surely the Raiders defense would break. On 3rd and 1 from his own 30, this time it was Tomlin who decided to pass rather than go smash mouth. Pickett threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the home crowd booed as Tomlin chose to punt and trust his defense. This time Josh McDaniels put things in the hands of his bellcow Jacobs gained 5, but on 2nd and 5 was stopped for no gain. While running the ball on 3rd and 5 seems crazy, only 3 minutes remained. Another run would either take the clock down to 2:15 or force the Steelers to burn a timeout. McDaniels called another pass play and Carr threw incomplete. 3rd and 5 is normally a passing down, but in cold bad weather, with the defense expecting a pass, a run would have been justified. Instead, the Steelers got the ball back at their own 24 with 2:55 left and all 3 timeouts.

What came next was inevitable. Pickett hit Najee Harris for 6 and Pat Freiermuth for 17. as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Pickett went to Freiermuth again for 10 more. Pickett then found Harris for 19. With 55 seconds left in regulation, the Steelers faced 4th and inches at the Raiders 15. The Raiders were the kings of failure to close out games, or FCO. Now their entire season was on the line. One stop would end the game. The entire world knew Tomlin was going to go straight up the gut, most likely a quarterback sneak. This was no time for finesse or trying to be cute. This was about sheer will. Pickett kept the ball and appeared stopped cold. After what seemed like forever, Pickett tried to lunge forward. The Raiders celebrated, believing he was short. His knee appeared down before he lunged. The game was over.

Yet 50 years after the Immaculate Deception, the Steelers received another gift from the officials. After a lengthy review, the Steelers were given the first down. The late Raiders coach John Madden once said that one knee equals two feet. Yet this time one knee down meant absolutely nothing. The call was that his knee was not down. The Raiders defense had bent all game, and as expected, they finally broke. On the next play Pickett went over the middle to George Pickens for a 14 yard touchdown. For 59 minutes, the Steelers trailed and had failed to reach the end zone. Yet now the Steelers had the 3 point lead. the Raiders had collapsed again.

The previous week the Raiders blew a 17-3 lead, fell behind 24-17 to New England, and saw Carr lead a stirring comeback. He tied the game 24-24 with 30 seconds left and then saw the Raiders win on the final play in bizarre fashion. This time the Raiders were at their own 29. They only had 43 seconds but they had all 3 timeouts. They only needed a field goal to force overtime. Carr went deep incomplete. On 2nd and 10, Carr went bombs away again. He had Renfrow open. Yet maybe because of the weather, or maybe because of the entire season being like this, Carr’s pass was wildly off the mark and intercepted by Sutton. 36 seconds remained and the Raiders still had all 3 timeouts. A run went nowhere as the Raiders took their first timeout. 25 seconds remained. This time Heyward ran for a 21 yard gain and went down inbounds. The game was over. The snow was still coming, but the Raiders season had melted.

The Steelers are 7-8 and still have playoff life and the chance to avoid Mike Tomlin’s first losing season. The 6-9 Raiders are finished. Making matters worse, this team as we know it may soon be finished as well. Owner Mark Davis will not fire Josh McDaniels. McDaniels is now talking of benching Carr and even trading him in the offseason. Jacobs is a free agent who ripped into McDaniels after the game without calling him out by name. Jacobs lambasted the decision to repeatedly try and throw the ball in cold snowy weather rather than pound the rock. Jacobs is the leading rusher in the NFL, but far too often this season the game has been taken out of his hands. Carr did have 3 interceptions, but he should not have been put in passing situations to begin with in these conditions. Losing Carr and Jacobs would gut the heart out of this team and leave only McDaniels, who has never had a winning season as a head coach. He inherited a playoff team and turned a playoff team into a losing team. Rather than get rid of McDaniels, Mr. Davis will choose McDaniels over Carr and Jacobs. The silver and black are in for some dark black times. For now, they have 2 more games and then 7 months to try and recover from the nightmarish 2022 season. 13-10 Steelers

Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins was the Sunday Christmas morning game. The Packers were 4-8 but came in winning 2 straight and barely alive in the playoff chase. The Dolphins began 8-3 but came in having lost 3 straight. The Dolphins began at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Green bay 28. Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Jason Sanders hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The Packers got a jolt when Nixon returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards to the Miami 9. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 5, Rodgers was sacked. The Packers squandered the golden field position and settled for a 36 yard Mason Crosby field goal and a 3-3 game.

One play and 18 seconds later, the Dolphins had the 10-3 lead as Tagovailoa hit Jalen Waddle for an 84 yard touchdown. A surprise onside kick failed, setting up the Packers at their own 46. Aaron Rodgers went to Allen Lazard for 11 and Watson for 20. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 15, Rodgers ran for 12. On 4th and goal at the one, Matt LaFleur decided to go for it. Rodgers hit Marcedes Lewis for the score and a 10-10 game.The Packers moved from their own 12 to a 4th and 1 at the Miami 37 in the second quarter. LaFleur went for it again and Rodgers threw deep incomplete.

The Dolphins got it back and soon faced 1st and 20 from their own 28. Tagovailoa went to Mike Gesicki for 24. Tagovailoa then went deep to Tyreek Hill for 52 yards down to the one. Wilson got in to make it 17-10 Dolphins. Matt LaFleur then gambled on a fake punt with the Packers facing 4th and 2 from their own 20. An direct snap up the midd gained nothing. Despite excellent field position, the Dolphins wasted it. On 2nd and goal at the 8, Tagovailoa was sacked. Sanders hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 20-10 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back and faced 2nd and 2 just shy of midfield at the 2 minute warning. Yet rather than deliver a knockout blow, Raheem Mostert fumbled and the Packers recovered at the same spot.

The turnover allowed Crosby to hit a 46 yard field goal and get the Packers within 20-13. Early in the third quarter the Packers faced 4th and 1 at their own 31. Matt LaFleur was a wild man, going for it deep in his own territory yet again. Rodgers gained 2. Dillon gained 11. On 3rd and 9 from their own 45. Rodgers went to Taylor for 17 and Lewis for 31. Dillon ran for 6 and then for the one yard touchdown. The 11 play, 78 yard, 7 minute drive made it 20-20. After a touchback the Dolphins moved 45 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Mike McDaniel matched LaFleur risk for risk. He also gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Mostert gained 9. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 30, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Jason Sanders came in for a 48 yard field goal try to give the Dolphins the lead. The kick was no good. The Packers moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and 15 at the Miami 39.to start the fourth quarter. Rodgers went for it all and was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback.

One play and 9 seconds later, Tagvailoa went deep and found Alexander. Problem: Alexander plays defense for the Packers. He returned the pick 23 yards to the Miami 14. On 2nd and goal at the 5, a completion from Rodgers to Lazard lost 5 yards followed by an incompletion. The Packers wasted the golden field position. Crosby hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 23-20 Packers. The Dolphins moved from their own 18 to a 2nd and 13 at the Green Bay 30. Tagovailoa went to Campbell. Problem: Campbell plays defense for the Packers. The Packers moved from their own 36 to a 3rd and 5 at the Miami 10. Dillon got the carry but gained only 2 yards. Crosby hit the 26 yard field goal to put the Packers up by 6 with 2:02 left. The Dolphins got it back at their own 28 with 1:56 left and 0 timeouts. Yet one touchdown would win it. 2 plays later, Tagovailoa went to Douglas. Problem: Douglas plays defense for the Packers. Tagovailoa’s 3 fourth quarter interceptions doomed the Dolphins to their 4th straight loss. At 8-7 they still make the playoffs if they win their last 2 games. The Packers won their 3rd straight and at 7-8 are alive. 26-20 Packers

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday Christmas afternoon game. Nothing says Christmas like a pair of 4-10 teams fighting for nothing. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages and an instant Christmas classic. This was absolutely not that game unless one likes lumps of coal. The Rams after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 27. A false start and a fumble back the Rams up to 3rd and 28. Matt Gay bailed them out with a 55 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Russell Wilson went deep and was intercepted by Durant, who returned the pick to the Denver 34. Baker Mayfield went to Hopkins for 22 and Tyler Higbee for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Rams. The Broncos soon faced 2d and 16 from their own 19. Wilson was intercepted by his former teammate Bobby Wagner, who returned the pick 13 yards to the Denver 11. Two plays later Cam Akers ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Rams.

The Broncos managed a first quarter field goal, but this game was over. The Rams began the second quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Mayfield went to Akers for 17 and 12. Williams ran for 5 and 7. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mayfield went to Higbee for the touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and give the Rams a 24-3 lead. The Rams got it back and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 15. Mayfield went to Hopkins for 16. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Akers gained 5. Mayfield went to Higbee for 21 and Higbee for 12. Akers ran for a 2 yard touchdown as the Rams led 31-3 with one minute left in the half. The Broncos managed another field goal before the half, and league rules prevented the second half from being canceled or replaced with the movie “Heidi.” The Rams added a third quarter field goal and obliterated the Broncos into oblivion in the fourth quarter. Akers ran for a 4 yard fourth quarter touchdown to make it 41-6. The Rams added another field goal. Wilson did throw 2 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, but only one went to his own team. The day after the game, the Broncos finally put Nathaniel Hackett out of his misery, firing him and 2 assistant coaches. 51-14 Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals is the Sunday Christmas night game. Despite being 6-8, the Buccaneers entered one game atop the horrid NFC South. Tom Brady in his 23rd season is having his worst season from a record standpoint, having lost 8 games for the first time. One more loss would be his first losing season. The Cardinals were done for the year and in disarray. Kyler Murray was on injured reserve and Colt McCoy missed the game with a concussion. 3rd string quarterback Tracy McSorley made his first NFL start. The first three quarters were awful. Ryan Succop hit a 38 yard first quarter field goal for the Buccaneers. Matt Prater answered from 56 for a 3-3 game. Succop hit from 35 in the second quarter to make it 6-3 Buccaneers. Prater hit from 53 for a 6-6 tie at the half. The third quarter was scoreless. One minute into the fourth quarter, Prater hit from 39 to make it 9-6 Cardinals. The first thing resembling a big play came with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. A 28 yard punt return set up the Cardinals at the Tampa 33. James Conner ran for a 22 yard touchdown. After 49 minutes of field goals, the touchdown had the Cardinals up 16-6 with 11 minutes left.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 33 and Brady connected with Leonard Fournette for 44 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 18, Brady hit Fournette for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Brady hit Rachaad White for the touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers were within 16-13. The Cardinals after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Tampa 42. McSorley fumbled and Gholston recovered for the Buccaneers at their own 45 with 5 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Arizona 24. Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit from 42 for a 16-16 tie with 2 1/2 minutes left. The defenses dug in and the game went to overtime. The Cardinals got the ball first and punted. The Buccaneers took over at their own 16. Brady went to Mike Evans for 8, Russell Gage for 23, Evans again for 16, and Gage again for 13. On 3rd and 13 from the Arizona 22, Todd Bowles was not taking any chances. with 3:40 left in overtime, Succop came in for a 40 yard try to win it. The kick was good. At 7-8 the Buccaneers still lead the NFC South by one game. By winning out, Brady can still avoid his first losing season. The day after the game, Cardinals superstar and future first ballot Hall of Famer JJ Watt announced his retirement after 12 seasons. This was his final home game, but he has 2 more games left in his career. He is also a Hall of Famer off the field. 19-16 Buccaneers

Los Angeles Chargers at Indianapolis Colts was the Monday night game. After missing out on the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion last year, the 8-6 Chargers could clinch a playoff spot with a win over the lowly Colts. Jeff Saturday decided that instead of Matt Ryan or Sam Ehlinger, third string quarterback Nick Foles…yes, that Nick Foles…would start his first NFL game in over a year. After a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers took over at their own 30. Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 48, Herbert hit Palmer for 8. On 3rd and 13 from the Indianapolis 47, Herbert hit Mike Williams for 16 and again for 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 3, Herbert gained 2. Austin Ekeler ran in the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The defenses dug in for a long stretch. Chase McLaughlin managed a 46 yard field goal for the Colts, but Dicker responded from 24 for a 10-3 Chargers halftime lead. An interception of Foles led to Dicker hitting a 21 yard field goal for a 13-3 Chargers lead in the third quarter. A Chargers fumble gave the Colts gift field position at the Chargers 21, but on 4th and 1 from the 12, Foles got stopped cold. The Chargers began the fourth quarter at that spot. A 12 play, 88 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive finally finished off the Colts. Ekeler ran for a one yard touchdown. The Chargers defense sacked Foles 7 times and the offense did just enough to punch the playoff ticket for the 9-6 Chargers. 20-3 Chargers

50 years ago on this very day, a day that will live in infamy…in Pittsburgh it is referred to as the Immaculate Reception. Members of the Raider Nation know it as the Immaculate Deception.

Tomorrow night the NFL will pay a tribute to this travesty as the Raiders are again at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My heart goes out to the entire Steelers family. The shocking death of Franco Harris right before this game is a much bigger tragedy than any play in any football game. Yet even amidst pain and suffering, we have an obligation to fulfill our responsibilities. For those who bled silver and black, it is to root for the Raiders and tell the truth about 50 years ago.
The Immaculate Reception should have been nullified. The Raiders were cheated out of a playoff victory. There were 3 problems on the play.

1) Frenchy Fuqua touched the football, not Jack Tatum. Tatum leveled Fuqua. Tatum could not go through Fuqua’s body to touch the ball. An obscure rule at the time that was later repealed clearly stated that if a ball bounces off one offensive player to another without a defensive player touching it in between, the catch is invalid as an illegal touch.

2) Franco Harris supposedly caught the ball at his shoetips, but there is no angle showing he actually caught it. The bottom half of the ball is not in display. If that ball hit the ground, it is not a catch. There are witnesses on the field who saw the bottom tip of the ball hit the ground.

3) There was an illegal block in the back. Phil Villiapiano was clearly clipped. That should have been a penalty. It was never called.

4) John Madden said he overheard the referee talking to the Pittsburgh Police Department after the play. The officer wanted to know how many police officer PPD could provide if the referee reversed the touchdown. The police said they could provide 6. The refe asked if that meant 600 or 6,000. He was again told 6. He said that 60,000 fans would riot and he needed more than 6. One more time, he was told 6. So the ref said, “In that case, 6 for Pittsburgh,” came back on the field, raised his hands in the air to signal the touchdown.

Last week the Raiders got a tiny measure of vengeance…but not justice…for the Tuck Rule…tomorrow night they must do the same for the Immaculate Deception.

Final note: I asked Steelers great Lynn Swann back in 2008 who would win a game between the 1970s Raiders and Steelers in the year 2008. Swann smiled and said, “Guys would throw down their walkers and get out of their wheelchairs to play that game.”

eric TYGRRRR EXPRESS